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Mika’ele Story

Posted by, Hawaiian on December 11, 2014

Aloha e, I received an e-mail from a good friend of mine in Hilo a couple of weeks ago. He had forwarded your request for information regarding Kanaka Maoli living abroad. I think he sent it to me because he probably thought that you would find my story interesting.
My name is Mika’ele and was born in Calgary, Alberta, Canada in 1961. My parents moved to Canada in 1958 from England, where they were both born. My parents, my siblings and my daughter all hold Canadian/British citizenship yet my mom is Hawaiian. We are direct descendants of a servant to Kamehameha II Liholiho and Queen Kamamalu. When the King and Queen travelled to Britain on a state visit in 1823-1824 they took with them a good size entourage. When the King and Queen died, a good number of the entourage opted to stay in England and live out their lives. They married English people and had families. This is where my Kanaka Maoli roots come in. Although my blood quantum is not high through 175 years of ancestry, I feel more Hawaiian than Canadian or British. I travelled to Hawai’i for the first time in 1976 and knew immediately that I was home. For 150 years no member of my family had set foot on Hawaiian soil until I got off that airplane. Since U.S. immigration will not allow me to live in Hawai’i because of my citizenship, and they will not grant me citizenship based on my blood quantum (only US citizens may live and work in Hawai’i) I am happy to travel to my homeland whenever I can afford it.
Unfortunately, it has been 13 years since I have been able to afford it. I will continue to work hard toward the regaining of our sovereign status so that I may return my ohana to our homeland. I am also currently doing research into the name of my forefather that travelled to England so long ago. I need to do this for myself. I have not had much luck so far but I will continue to check archives at the Bishop Museum and also with the English Government. There has to be some record somewhere. I hope I have been of some help to you incompleting your project. I do not understand why any Kanaka Maoli would want to live anywhere but at home in Hawai’i. Sincerely,
Mika’ele